While Parents Possess The Original Key To

Whenever I Hear About A Child Needing Something, I Ask Myself, 'is It What He Needs Or What He Wants?' It Isn't Always Easy To Distinguish Between The Two. A Child Has Many Real Needs Which Can And Should Be Satisfied. His Wants Are A Bottomless Pit. He Wants, For Example, To Sleep With His Parents. He Needs To Be In His Own Bed. At Christmas He Wants Every Toy Advertised On Television. He Needs Only One Or Two.

When Gentle Persuasion [of Children] Falls On Deaf Ears, We Resort To Ridicule And Rebuke. Then We Return To Threats And Punishment. This Is The Modus Operandi Of A Mutual Frustration Society.

Treat A Child As Though He Already Is The Person He's Capable Of Becoming.

When Children Feel Understood, Their Loneliness And Hurt Diminish. When Children Are Understood, Their Love For Their Parent Is Deepened. A Parent's Sympathy Serves As Emotional First Aid For Bruised Feelings. When We Genuinely Acknowledge A Child's Plight And Voice Her Disappointment, She Often Gathers The Strength To Face Reality.

To Sense When A Teenager Needs Understanding And When Misunderstanding Is A Difficult And Delicate Task. The Sad Truth Is That No Matter How Wise We Are, We Cannot Be Right For Any Length Of Time In Our Teenagers' Eyes.